Constellations
by keroberus
Summary: Several years have passed since Esther traveled with her friends to defeat the Dark Wizard and the White Witch, and she's turned out to be a focused, driven, but lonely young woman. While on a quest for Queen Cowlipha, an unexpected encounter opens her eyes and heart to a broader point of view and a journey worth taking.
1. Chapter 1: Girl of the Desert

Author's note:

I've been mulling over this story for a while, since I finished Ni No Kuni last month. I continued several chapters without any real intent to post the story since I don't really expect there to be much of an audience. But I was conflicted by the rich scenery and the beautiful music that stood starkly in contrast to the lack of character development for any of Oliver's companions. So, I've focused on my two under-developed character favorites: the desert girl and the pig prince. Fanfiction saves us where there is a lack of character development, right?

I make no claim to the characters of Ni No Kuni, or the game. I just wanted to write a story about a girl who is trying to find her way, that's all.

-Kero (3/18/13)

* * *

CHAPTER 1: Girl of the Desert

She hunched further to the ground and drew her knees up against her chest to keep the warmth close under her thick cloak. Despite the fact that her clothing was charmed with a spell to keep her dry, it certainly did not keep out the chill. A pitiful fire sputtered before her, casting thin shadows in all directions of the damp cave. She and her traveling companion had found a little hole in the side of the mountain that eventually carved inward into a smallish cave with a small opening at the top - ideal for a small fire.

She did not dare ask one of her familiars to cast a fire spell on it, since it would make more smoke and burn their fuel faster than necessary. Needless to say, it would also draw the attention of any wild beasts and magical creatures in this godforsaken haunted canyon. The fact that she was a creature tamer and familiar trainer did not discount the fact that she hated all of the magical creatures in this part of Autumnia. Most of these were spirit creatures, risen from the dead or lingering between the planes of life and death. They had a foul stench which dripped into pools of cursed muck that immediately brought on a fever and depression when in contact with human skin, as if the smell was not bad enough.

She was a girl of the sunshine filled, arid open desert. Moist and damp places like Autumnia, where moss or mold could grow on your feet if one did not keep moving, and no matter what socks refused to stay dry, were not her favorite places to visit.

Esther had no love for this part of her job.

Though the Queen of Al-Mamoon had commissioned her to draft an encyclopedia of magical creatures around the world, she had only tamed and studied seventy-five or so in her young life of seventeen. There were hundreds of different creatures, and each with their own specific evolutions, around the world. They differed with the change of climate, soil minerals, natural resources of air, fire, earth and water. All of this altered their appearance, their level of docility or hostility, and overall strength and elemental magic. In order to study them all, Esther had the assistance of Derwin, a researcher of wild and magical creatures. He too was commissioned by the Queen to complete the list. Esther was at first impressed with his wide expanse of knowledge of the types and evolutions of over two-hundred creatures. However, there was still much he did not know of their behaviors and affinities and thus he too cast himself out into the world to do more study.

Her impression of him soon soured as Derwin proved to be a most bothersome travel companion. He constantly complained of the weather whenever he was not speaking of magical creatures - and oh, did he talk and talk about all things not human - to the point where Esther at times wanted to club him over the head for a little peace. Further, he was a terrible cook, a horrible forager, and generally useless at fighting or defending himself.

Thus, even though Esther herself was the wise daughter of the Great Sage Rashaad on top of being a graduate of Al-Mamoon's Royal Academy of Wizardy, she was mostly the braun of this small operation doing all of the grunt work.

What saves them when faced with dire situations was the fact that Esther had mastered all forms of familiar taming, and in fact, brought along three of her most powerful creature companions. So, the task came to Esther to attack and defend while Derwin hid behind her. This scene was often repeated throughout their travels.

Most wizards and witches without her talent were out of luck if they wanted to build up their familiar collection by themselves, unless they chanced upon someone who would give them one. At the Academy, she proved top of her class in rearing and training animals and magical creatures. But to her chagrin, her magic did not extend much further than that. Other than a small flame spell that was decent enough to start a fire, she had very short range offensive or defensive skills of her own, despite her esteemed lineage. Her tool was a hand harp which channeled her magical aura and charmed her creatures into doing her bidding. To make up for her lack of power, her bird familiar, Gogo, had the requisite strength for attack, defense, and casting protection spells. She had two other familiars, the fairy, Jean who was a light user and healer, as well as her ice demon, an Eldritch Empress, who could cast water and darkness spells in abundance. With these three, and a back sack full of provisions and food, she managed to trudge through marshes, canyons, rivers, seas and grasslands without dying.

Today, however, proved to be most trying. Not only did Esther hate the dark, she had always been rather terrified of ghosts. It made her current predicament quite pitiable. These creatures tended to sneak up on her out of nowhere, making her heart leap into her throat several times and her skin crawl almost constantly. Seventeen skeleton warriors, five will-o-the-wispy things, twelve goo-like creatures and nine cursed maidens later, Esther was worn out both physically and mentally; and without respite from the blasted chill of death that lingered everywhere.

Being around things that were dead, unfortunately reminded her that her mother had passed away before her earliest childhood memories and her father, a legendary sage and wizard, raised her single-handedly. Without a mother, she grew up a little rough around the edges and did not really have any talent for needlework, gourmet cooking, or dancing for that matter. These were things that girls and women of refinement in her village would learn to catch the best husbands. She could not draw or sew anything worth her life. Aside from a few Al-Mamoon babana cake recipes she perfected through trial and error, Esther had no real talent for cooking.

She spent most of her young life pouring through her father's collection of books due to the lack of companionship. Though he loved her dearly, her father was not one for conversation. When books were not enough she went through schooling to read more.

Her only talent aside from taming, was in music, which seemed to go hand in hand with her magical abilities. She was clever enough to learn to play any instrument she got her hands on. For this, she spent many hours practicing various wind and stringed instruments alone. Combined with her regular book consumption, it was a rather solitude existence when she was not out and about training her familiars. The children in her village often teased her for it, telling her that her mother lamented she did not have a son and had grown sick after childbirth, thereafter cursing her daughter to a solitary existence when she died. The tongues of children were often cruel in her youth. Esther would forever be a lonely child without any useful female talents who would eventually grow to be an old maid. At least, that's what the village elders believed. As she grew older, the voices were more hushed, but nonetheless, still there.

Now here she was, still forging her own way alone in an unwelcome, lonely and dark place. Being here, on Tombstone Trail, had only brought the most unpleasant memories back to her. Fighting the creatures here made her heart cold, and memories of her friends she had once traveled with, and the friends she had met in the Academy afterwards, and everyone who cared about her well-being - such as her dear father and Queen Cowlipha - a distant thought. There was something in the air that oppressed any sense of warmth.

She pulled the cloak around her even closer, though it provided no additional comfort. How she longed to take a bath and get out of her dirty traveling clothes. She dreamed of putting on a pair of silk trousers and sitting in the sun. She missed the wafted fragrance of scented oils carried on the desert wind that the veiled women of Al Mamoon purchased in the marketplace.

_Who would have thought that someone like me, who went on a quest with my friends to save the world at age thirteen and was heralded as one of the future Great Sages of the world, would end up in a place like this, all by myself again…._ she grimaced.

She dozed off to the distant memory of children's voices, singing spiteful rhymes at her.

* * *

Notes: I named the fairy I found in the forest after Jean Valjean (since I had recently watched Les Miserables). Gogo, the fairy and the witch became essentially Esther's strongest allies throughout my game.

I chose to stick with the English version of the game (PS3) and the name "Esther" though I think the Japanese name for the character, "Maru," is much more pretty. Esther's name matches the character of the girl I'm trying to convey to the audience in this story.


	2. Chapter 2: Soul of the Night

**CHAPTER 2: The Soul of the Night**

Esther was startled awake by the sound of Derwin's pitiful cries for help outside the cave.

"That damned idiot," she muttered as she pulled out her harp from under her cloak. "I told him not to wander off!"

She lurched herself forward, shaking the sleep from her limbs and rushed outside. Derwin, however, was not being attacked, to her surprise. There was instead a shocking sight a little ways off and further down the slope from their cave in the mountainside. Esther slid down half the rocky slope to where Derwin was standing. They were still elevated from the floor of the valley below.

In the pale moonlight, she could see a large group of haunted beasts and gremlins, about the size of a small army, amassed in the center of the valley. Their shrieks and bone chilling cries were probably what drew Derwin out in the first place. Esther was surprised that her magical senses had not noticed their presence while she was sleeping. She could only conclude that she was too exhausted to care.

She was about to tell Derwin to go back into the cave and get some rest, since the beasts and magical creatures were not interested in them, but paused when she soon saw why they had gathered in the first place. Across the valley, at the opposite end, she saw a moving mass of mechanical creatures, tanks and soldiers. The metal and armor glinted of silver steel and polished iron in the moonlight. At the vanguard of the army were soldiers riding atop wheeled vehicles that spewed white smoke into the air, with large teal and gold banners flying.

"It's the Hamlin army," said Esther in a low voice as she watched in wonder. She had not seen them in action for years, not since the attack on the White Fortress, but Esther was still equally impressed by their movement's uniformity and precision.

"They're going to annihilate the creatures?" demanded Derwin in a shrill voice. Esther pondered the army's purpose for a moment.

"The Hamlin population has been enjoying peace and expanding into the old deserted lands for a few years now ever since the threat of the White Witch ended. The people must have been harassed by the ghouls out here. It's up to their Emperor to do something about that."

"But they could kill off rare finds that we haven't researched yet! It's barbaric!" protested Derwin.

"What's barbaric is allowing people to suffer when you have the power to help them," snapped Esther back at him. "The Emperor understands that he can never be rid of the indigenous life here. They spring up from everywhere. He's just pushing them back and re-drawing the boundaries. It wasn't until the tail end of the Wizard Wars and the Black Wizard Shadar that they started flourishing here anyway. These types feed on inherent darkness, but they thrive on despair and fright. This entire continent used to be populated with kingdoms and villages. People are afraid to venture out. Now, only Hamlin remains, along with a sprinkle of small villages, and everywhere the dark aura of the fallen dwells in the shadows. The only other established dwelling is the town of Perdida, in the northern mountainous region. If he doesn't push back the dark creatures, his people will not be able to flourish. This is a matter of survival for his empire."

"Are you just going to stand here and watch them destroy our potential research?" her companion demanded.

"I'm tired, Derwin," sighed Esther in response. "I'm not about to throw myself in the midst of a fray in the middle of nowhere."

But just as she spoke these words, Derwin sputtered something under his breath and ran off in the direction of the battle, against her wishes. The reach of her arm could not pull back his collar in time. She called out after him that she was not about to go save him and if he had any last words he wanted carved on his epitaph he should tell her now. Her words were unheeded. But as Esther watched his figure grow smaller in the distance she tied her bracers tight and adjusted her harp strings to tune them. She could feel her familiars hovering about her in another magical plane, awaiting her call to arms.

Esther was never one to say one thing and do another. She too was one of the people who could not sit back and do nothing if someone in front of her was in danger. This included idiots like Derwin. She could not face Queen Cowlipha again if she willingly lost half her research team.

With a great heaving breath of reluctance, Esther jumped from the ledge where she was standing and ran off after Derwin. Soon she found herself amid a melee of man-made metal machines and slimy ghouls. She cast Gogo first to beat away some of the creatures with his magic staff, and cast minor wind spells to blow them aside. Esther was not interested in destroying them either without a purpose, unless they charged at her with malicious intent. But the ghouls where not particularly concerned with the cloaked young woman trying to move past them. They were more concerned with the tanks and weapons spewing searing light and molten balls of fire at them.

Esther ignored the screeching cries of conflict between metal and magic when she found Derwin huddled in a shivering mass on the floor, very much in danger of being trampled. She immediately went to him and patted his extremities to check that they were still attached.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" she asked in a hurry as she helped him up.

"N-no," he stammered. "But I can't stop them."

"Seriously," she retorted. "Did you think you could? Both sides are out to club each other senseless. There's no way an outsider can stop it and no reason we should even be involved."

"But my research-!" he continued.

"There are hundred thousand more magical creatures out there. We can come back to this region of Autumnia later, when it's settled down a bit," she reasoned. Before he could rebut, she had Jean cast a spell to toss Derwin up into the branches of a barren tree atop a small cliff where he would not be trampled.

Just as she looked around for a foothold to leverage herself up to higher ground she heard something that caught her attention. It was the commanding voice of a young man she had not seen for years. Esther looked up and saw the proud and slim figure of the Emperor of Hamlin standing atop a very large mechanical tank on metal tracked wheels.

"Shields up!" he shouted. "Steady men! Here comes the attack!" Just as he said this a large group of bone warriors cast curses onto the vanguard. Esther had enough sense to have Gogo cast a ward just in time to avoid being struck.

"Tanks! Focus your attack to the left where they are beginning to scatter! Soldiers! Do not let them get past you, else they will attack our flank! You must defend at all costs!" the Emperor shouted. "For home and country!" he rallied and his cries were met with the exuberant cheers of the men he led. He bounded over the tank's cannon to cast a light spell to repel an onslaught of death maidens. Esther could never cease to be impressed by his skill at casting. It was certainly something she did not have talent for. Second only to the Pure Hearted One, her friend Oliver who had returned to his own world several years ago, Prince Marcassin was the best spell caster she had ever been acquainted with.

She was almost sure that the Prince could handle himself and was about to focus her attention back to the task of getting out of the way when a large, ear splitting cry echoed against the walls of the valley. The soldiers shrank back and looked around to see what on earth it could be. To their horror, a Darkwing, a dragon of hatred-filled, ruby red eyes that spit blue flame with incredible power, started to char the forefront of the army. Only partially protected by the armor, many of the tank handlers abandoned their weapons to get away from the oppressive heat that threatened to roast them alive.

In old tomes, these blue flames were called "everburns," as they were not easily extinguished and burned hotter than a regular fire. Had the soldiers not been wearing their protective armor with magical wards to protect them, most would have been dead. Esther could see that some had already fallen and were lying still on the ground.

"Oh my! A Darkwing!" exclaimed Derwin excitedly in the distance. Esther too was fascinated by the size of the mysterious creature she had only read about in ancient scrolls dating back thousands of years to the middle era of the Wizard Wars. Surely it was more than a handful of centuries old, the remnants of an old beast of the dragon race, who had died a death horrible enough to hold a grudge even centuries later. Her researcher's instincts were kicking in and she was taking mental notes and measurements of its length, body mass, general composition and magic reserves. When she finally came out of her thoughts Esther had enough sense quickly hide behind a large boulder just as the creature charged. A spew of flame licked at the top of the boulder singeing wisps of her yellow hair and spiraled out over her head into the surrounding army. One of the vehicles nearby was hit in the blast radius of the conflagration and its fuel tank exploded, only to send soldiers flying in every direction and leaving a large, blackened hole in the ground. Her familiar, Jean, had cast a protection spell just in time to save her from the repercussion.

_They aren't going to last very long like this. Prince Marcassin needs to cast a large light spell against a creature of the darkness,_ she thought. But those spells took a few minutes to case and in the meantime, someone needed to protect him and the army with a barrier spell. There were no wizards in Hamlin whom she could recall who had that sort of power to assist the Emperor at such a critical time. Aside from the Emperor, she was not aware that the present court of Hamlin housed any formally trained wizards or witches. The past decade showed a renewed interest in wizardy where the end of the Wizard Wars ushered the near annihilation of the magical populace. Hamlin did not have a magical Academy since their focus was on science and technology. Even Al Mamoon's Academy housed less than fifty individuals who were interested in studying magical history or practicing magic. Here in Autumnia, only the Emperor was known to have any magical prowess.

She peeked past the side of the boulder to see what he would do next on his own.

As she thought, he was already on the ground, beginning to cast a light spell, but it left him wide open to attack at the same time. Members of his vanguard stood around him with their large steel shields raised to protect him. A loud, crippling roar soon that rumbled the sides of the valley brought half of them to their knees, leaving their Emperor exposed. Both Esther and the dragon realized this at the same time and simultaneously they both lunged towards Marcassin.

As if a time spell had warped the space they were in, everything started to move at a thickened pace. Harp in hand, Esther maneuvered past a group of bone soldiers as Gogo clubbed them and badgered them with a crosswind that sent them flying. Her Eldritch Empress familiar froze a few others into place while others were held back by thick icicles piercing through their hollow ribs and tacking them to the ground. Esther made it just in time as the Darkwing hurled a large, blue fireball in their direction. With a strum of her harp, Jean cast a very powerful shield that covered the entire army. The fire ball broke and shattered into many parts, and the pieces bounced off the barrier burning the nearby shrubbery, but otherwise leaving the army unharmed. The shield then broke from the sheer force of the attack after it had fulfilled its task.

Before anyone could even wonder where the shield spell had come from, the Emperor's spell was then ready and a great ball of light counterattacked, sending the dragon spiraling off into the opposite direction. Boulders and pieces of the valley tumbled down onto the combatants below as the darkwing crashed.

With its second wind, it scraped its bony talons into the face of the rock and pushed off the walls of the valley to begin another charge at them. The soldiers scrambled and tanks shot fiery projectiles at the dragon but every missile could not assail the creature in its speed. Everyone knew there was not enough time for their leader to cast another such spell and they braced for the worst.

Esther took notice of the creatures eyes and saw they had changed from an angry red to a pale green. Something in the chemistry of the light spell had awakened its consciousness. This was the soul of the original being that once inhabited the current husk. It was still a wild creature, fighting for its right to exist. Her magical empathy could feel a mixture of desperation intermingled determination in its heart. A warm glow surrounded Esther's heart as she began to understand it a little. It was true that such a creature had never been tamed. However, if a familiar tamer could see into the heart of a magical creature and understand it, any creature could be tamed...in theory.

She took a deep breath and stood up, unhooking the clasp of her cloak to let it fall behind her and drop silently to the ground. Her body began to emanate a soft, rosy light, similar to the color of the sun of her home village at dusk in the outskirts of Al-Mamoon. Esther closed her eyes and the sound of her harp strings suddenly stirred the valley to silence as the notes bounced off the rock walls of the valley and faded into the night. Esther opened her mouth to sing.

_"Still your cries, __  
_

_Rest in peace at last;_

_Time that flows in life_

_falls away so fast;_

_Release your grudge and fly free,_

_Earthly cares all gone;_

_The light that bids you come to me_

_is yours, and yours alone."_

Her song was intermingled with the sorrow this place had called forth from her childhood memory, and Esther willingly let the timbre flow into her carefully chosen lyrics as she serenaded the great beast. With this feeling, their hearts joined and she hoped, more than actually knew, that it would work.

The creature's charge slowed and then halted until it hovered over her. It's wings beating against the damp air and stirring the loose earth at her feet. It then opened its jaws wide and let out a lament of its past in a low, throaty voice, and the Darkwing looked at the golden haired girl with gentle eyes. Esther smiled at him as his form shimmered, and disappeared into a pale, glowing green orb that dropped onto the dirt and rolled to her feet. The Soul of the Night was hers.

Everywhere around her the silence swelled as the soldiers took hold of their senses again and made note of her presence for the first time. Even the magical creatures and wild beasts who had gathered to fight there seemed to have lost their nerve and were dispersing back into the darkness.

"Miss Esther!" shouted the Emperor as he immediately realized who she was. "That was simply splendid!" he exclaimed, rushing to her side, his words tumbling over his excitement at what he just saw. "How did you accomplish that? Are you all right?"

Esther turned to look at him and gave him a small smile. Her body felt drained of strength and her mind was growing fuzzy with lack of sleep and overexertion as the adrenaline was leaving her. Something wet and warm rolled down her cheek. She touched her face and realized it was tears.

"How strange," she whispered, bewildered, just before she lost consciousness and collapsed into Marcassin's arms.


	3. Chapter 3: Emperor of Industry

**Author's note: **I picked this up again after putting it down. I actually had 8 chapters written for this story but I'm rethinking the direction! It doesn't help that the author is wandering and just as lost as Esther... But I'll find a way through somehow. Please RxR. Thanks for your ongoing support and your kind words!

-Kero (7/5/13)

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**CHAPTER 3: The Emperor of Industry**

Esther opened her eyes and felt as though she had been sleeping for an age. Her limbs were heavy and her muscles limp. Her head felt as though it were stuffed with smelly plainswort weeds, but then it occurred to her it may have been because she had been traveling for days without a decent inn's bath in sight, and she wrinkled her nose. Her upper body was propped up on a pile of fluffy pillows as she lay in a bed with beautifully embroidered blankets. The room was richly furnished and the gas lamps on the wall were turned low to give her a peaceful, ambient light. This was certainly in the style of Hamlin and if she wasn't mistaken, the decor was distinctly found in the palace. The last thing she remembered was the Emperor's face just before everything went dark.

It paid to have friends in high places. Perhaps now, she might have that bath…

Esther sat up in bed unsteadily and wondered how long she had been out of commission. She wondered what had happened to Derwin, and if the poor fool was still stuck in a tree on Tombstone Trail. Her eyes lingered towards the blue green colored glass lamp on the bedside table and her memory brought back the color of the Darkwing's eyes.

"That's right," she said softly to herself. It had submitted to her but she had not had the chance to name it. Esther distinctly recalled an exchange of feeling between her and the dragon and in that moment she felt its sorrow and its anger. It reminded her of the time she had her mind broken by the Dark Wizard, Shadar. Tears came to her eyes knowing that the Darkwing had lived like that for centuries. That level of rapport had never happened to her before while taming. She wondered if there was a name for that trance-like state where she actually shared the emotions of the creature and vice versa. In a way, she wondered if the Darkwing had submitted to her will because it realized a kindred spirit in her. They both shared a darkness in their hearts.

Esther's thoughts were quietly interrupted by the sound of a knock, a pause, and then the door handle turning and the sound of someone clearing his throat at the door.

She looked up to see Prince Marcassin, Emperor of Hamlin, informally but still finely dressed, staring at her inquisitively with his gentle azure eyes. A smile returned to her face at the sight of him. It had been a few years since she saw him last. He had grown a bit more, and filled out with a bit more substance than when they parted last. He had always been shorter than his brother, Gascon, but his soft facial features had certainly become more pleasing to the eye with age. That familiar coif of long dark hair hung loose behind him.

"It's been a while, Your Majesty," said Esther politely. "You look well."

"That is my line," said Marcassin with a casual smile. "I was wondering if our sleeping maiden would ever wake up from her slumber on her own, or if I was supposed to do something about it."

Esther wondered at his words but a warm flush came to her face when she realized he was referring to a fairy story hailing back from the time of ancient Nazcaa, where the spell of a sleeping beauty could only be broken by the kiss of a true prince. She unwittingly pulled her covers up closer to her chest. His formal mode of speech was not the only thing she was not accustomed to.

"How long have I been sleeping?" she asked, nonchalantly changing the subject.

"For about three days," he said, pulling up a chair and sitting beside her.

She looked at him an wondered out loud, "Have you been watching over me all this time?"

"Of course," he said matter-of-factly. "I couldn't be certain if you had been cursed or overtaken by the fury of the Darkwing. I felt it my obligation to stand by with light magic in case it was needed. I read in a tome of the History of Magic once that very few would dare to tame such a creature, as they are usually spawned from darkness and hatred of the world. Only the purest of intentions could possibly hope to lure them into submission as the light of their hearts would naturally draw in the darkness."

"I don't know if that's exactly right," she responded, thinking back to her encounter with the beast. Marcassin waited patiently for her to explain.

"I don't know if the purity of my heart was what led the Darkwing to submit to me. I think it was my empathy and the darkness within my own heart that led us to understand one another."

"That is fascinating," he said after a moment of thought. "But I still believe it takes a pure heart to empathize with such darkness and not be overcome by it. If your heart had not been balanced with light and darkness, perhaps you would not have prevailed and the attempt at taming the Darkwing could have taken your life instead."

"This is true," sighed Esther with a little self-deprecating laugh. "It was not something I had planned to do. When I was younger, my father would scold me for leaping without looking. But taming is my only talent. In that moment there wasn't enough time for you to cast another light spell. It was the only thing I could try."

"You can imagine my surprise when you sprung out of nowhere to stand between me and the beast. I had already prepared to weather the hit but you spared me and my soldiers from that. I have to thank you for your bravery, and please believe me when I say you have my heartfelt thanks." He made a small bow from the waist as he placed an open hand over his heart.

"Please, Your Majesty. Don't be so formal."

"Then I would ask that you too, should not be so formal."

"I beg your pardon?" she asked.

"There was a time when we traveled, slept, ate and fought together as allies. Yet here you are, addressing me by title when we are friends, are we not?" His sincerity caught her off guard. When she looked at him Esther noticed how disarming his gaze was.

_No wonder Queen Cowlipha is infatuated with him, _she was something about the way he looked at her that made her feel like she was very important.

"I think your subjects would have something to say about me addressing their Emperor by his first name," she grinned.

"My subjects are not present at the time," he responded with a mischievous smile. He took her hand gently and checked her pulse. "It appears your heart rate has become regular again." Without releasing her hand with his right hand, he reached up with his left and felt her forehead. His sudden proximity and the fact that he was holding her hand so unabashedly made her heart jump. She wondered if he noticed.

"You had a slight fever but it appears gone now." Marcassin looked at her and furrowed his brow. "Why do you look at me like that?"

His question caught her off guard and for a moment she was fumbling for words.

"Y-Your Majesty," she managed to mumble.

"Marcassin," he said sternly.

"I'm sorry?" she asked.

"Mar-cas-sin," he insisted. "Miss Esther, I would like you to call me by my name." It was Esther's turn to furrow her brow at his stubbornness.

"How about Prince Marcassin?" she volunteered after a moment's pause, as a compromise. He pursed his lips and thought about it.

"That will do for now," he answered. Before she could ponder what he meant by "for now" he posed a series of questions to inquire how she had come to Autumnia and why she was on the Tombstone Trail.

When she told him about her commission from the Queen, as well as the identity and purpose of her traveling companion, he seemed rather displeased by the explanation.

"That was a dangerous task for you to take upon yourself alone," said Marcassin, guessing that her traveling companion was essentially useless in a pinch.

"I am a graduate of the Royal Academy of Wizardy in Al-Mamoon and a familiar tamer of the highest rank," sulked Esther. "I can take care of myself."

"Does your father, the Great Sage Rashaad, know that his daughter is being so foolhardy?" he asked incredulously.

"Of course he does!" she insisted. Esther thought about her response and realized she had just acknowledged her own foolhardiness. Her face grew warmer. "He knows I am commissioned by the Queen. I am not a child anymore," she huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"_I_ would not have let you go without an entourage," he retorted but after looking at her expression, he was resolved to let the subject drop. After a pause, Marcassin spoke again.

"But you dislike the darkness, do you not?" he asked straightforwardly. The question was so forward that she hardly knew how to answer.

"Well, I…. H-how do you…?"

"You forget that I have been acquainted with you since I was ten. Though, to you, you have only been acquainted with me since a few years prior."

Esther thought about his remark, and realized it was true. When she and her companions had traveled back in time to retrieve the Mornstar for their quest they had met the young prince of Hamlin and his older brother Gascon. Esther was impressed that Marcassin had all the potential to be a Great Sage even at the tender age of eight.

"And I have traveled with you both back then when we traveled the Tombstone Trail together, and again in recent memory, when we faced Shadar together. Both times I heard you say you disliked the darkness as it reminded you of unpleasant memories. I refrained from asking when we first met as it was inappropriate for a young boy to ask a young lady such a question without appearing rude. When we traveled again with Oliver after the onslaught of falling ash I also refrained from asking…as it seemed something of a personal nature. But I could tell you were enduring it through sheer power of will."

Esther recalled Marcassin as a boy who followed his older brother everywhere and hung about in Gascon's shadow. She had no idea he was so observant, even at such a young age. It was no wonder that he had grown to be one of the world's Great Sages renown for his foresight and planning. Her train of thought was interrupted when Marcassin's hand moved gently to brush against her chin and their eyes met.

"When I see that wistful reflection in your violet eyes I think I can understand now why the Darkwing took an affinity to you. It seems quite natural that you would be the only one capable of taming it."

A moment passed before Esther realized that they had been staring at one another in silence. She was the first to look away.

"The chill of darkness reminds me of when I was broken by the Dark Wizard and my mind was clouded by a meaningless void. Though my father was always doting and kind, it also reminds me of my mother who passed through the veil of death without leaving me any memory of her love. The darkness makes me lonely and reminds me of unpleasant things," she explained softly, without looking up. Again he touched her chin softly to draw her gaze back to him.

"From your sun-kissed hair and winning smile, you are a child of the light. This will never change. The darkness can never contain you," he smiled. The faint hint of a smile spread into a heartfelt grin across her face.

"Since when did you have such a way with words? You started out as such an awkward boy," she gently teased as a blush rose to her cheeks and Esther looked away in slight embarrassment. She had to remind herself that he was a boy no longer, and, since meeting in the present timeline he was a handful of years older.

"I...actually-" he began haltingly, but he was interrupted by a slight knock on the door. Several servants came in, one after another. The first servant curtseyed to the Emperor and announced that the time for supper had arrived and inquired whether the lady would like a bath. The second did the same and presented two gowns for Esther to choose from. The third gentleman bowed and presented a pale green orb sitting atop a velvet cushion to her.

"Oh," said Esther taking the orb into her hand. It pulsated faintly in response to her.

"I read once that if you do not name a familiar, it has a high probability of running off. If you wish to keep it, I would recommend you give it a name. I really do not need a dragon stalking the halls of my palace," smiled Marcassin. "It seems though, it has been waiting patiently to meet you again."

Esther smiled and closed her eyes. Her immediate thoughts went back to the color of its eyes, the color of a pale leaf, luminescent with the light of the sun and sky behind it, and she uttered the name, "Xantus," after a species of hummingbird found in the outskirts of the desert. Immediately the orb glowed stronger, as if it approved. She placed the orb back onto the cushion and stared at it.

"I will have to learn summoning magic if I am to coax its spirit out again. It is not exactly like a familiar in that it will come out and do my bidding with a simple strum of my harp." She frowned. Esther had not thought to learn summoning magic at the Academy since her forte was taming.

"We have an extensive library in the palace on summoning magic. After all, I and all of my predecessors before me have always been Great Sages. Surely there is something there you could use as a reference guide," he suggested. Esther's eyes lit up like glowing amethysts at the first mention of books.

"You'd let me into your library?" she asked incredulously.

"Of course," he answered. "Why would I not?"

"Well," explained Esther, "Not everyone can just waltz in and read the Emperor's collection, right?"

"You are certainly not 'just anyone' to me," answered Marcassin. It seemed everything he said to her tonight was catching her off guard. Again, Esther was at a loss for words and at at a loss as to how to take that remark.

"I think I'll take that bath now," she said to the servant still waiting for a response. The servant nodded and went into a side door which led to a smaller, adjoining room with a bath and turned on the hot and cold water pipes.

"Will the lady be joining Your Majesty for supper?" asked the second servant. Esther looked at Marcassin who smiled back at her.

"Only if it pleases my lady," he answered and turned to her. "I would enjoy it very much if you would sup with me." His sudden turn of stiffened speech reminded her that he was still the Emperor of Hamlin.

"I am a bit hungry," she responded shyly.

"Then I will see you again, soon, Miss Esther," he said as he stood up to leave the room.

"Oh, if I may ask, Your Majesty," she interjected. "Does anyone know where Derwin is?"

"I invited him to reside within the palace as a courtesy to Queen Cowlipha's commissioned researcher, but he declined saying he had some papers to finish and would be housed at the Cat's Cradle Inn." Esther could tell that Marcassin did not think very highly of her traveling companion. When he left the room, she found herself missing his company but also felt her tension fade from her body. For some reason it was both exhilarating and exhausting being in such close proximity with him though she had not felt this way before.

She looked over to the side settee where the two dresses had been laid out. The pink one with ruffles was made of a material that had the feel of Al-Mamoon. The deep purple one looked more of something a courtly lady of Hamlin would wear. She wondered if Marcassin had picked these out himself. He certainly had princely taste.

But, all of his actions tonight puzzled her. His words were also a bit confusing to her. Though they travelled together in a group in the past, they were seldom alone together. This was perhaps the first time she had actually conversed with him in depth. It was awkward for her since she had known him as a boy in the past, but also as a young man and Emperor of a powerful country, as well as a commander in the war against the White Witch. Esther was at a loss at how to react to some of the things he said, and as she thought about this her hand would unconsciously move to her chin where his hand had brushed against her gently.

Esther was not accustomed to any man, let alone an Emperor, being so attentive to her. There was something disarming about his gaze that unsettled her. It was different from the way a friend like Oliver would look at her, and different still from the way her doting father would look at her. She had no explanation for it, and the more she thought on it the more confused she became. After soaking in the scented bath water for a short while, she resolved to forget about it altogether.

As soon as the servant helped her dry and put up her hair she resolved to be herself and ran her fingers against the long desired Al-Mamooni silk to feel the texture of the dress she chose for dining.


	4. Chapter 4: The Skyless City

**CHAPTER 4: The Skyless City**

Marcassin looked up from his bowl of potage soup as she walked into the dining room, and unwittingly placed his spoon on the tablecloth as opposed to its holder as her presence made him suddenly speechless. Esther had chosen the soft pink gown with a long silk skirt of several layers trimmed with gently pleated ruffles. The layers were just thick enough that one could almost see the silhouette of her matching loose silk pantaloons beneath them, in the fashion of the desert dwellers. The torso was a solid violet shell with gold embroidered desert flowers from which her see-through silk sleeves flow out loosely. Two thin, sateen ribbons tied the cuffs of her sleeves. Her golden hair was tied back in a simple knot, and it connected to a velvet purple strap that dangled an amethyst over her forehead. She looked like Al-Mamooni royalty.

She smiled at him unaffectedly as she took her place to his left, as if she were oblivious to the fact that she was the most beautiful thing in the entire room. The Emperor was accustomed to eating alone if he was not eating with his councilors and generals on formal occasions, but it was rare for him to have such a lady at his table.

"This looks so delicious," said Esther as the rest of the meal came out on silver platters. Aside from the soup there was smoked ham and vegetable casserole of steamed vegetables and tart apples. For dessert there was fig pie. Esther ate her entire portion heartily. After she was almost finished, she realized that Marcassin had been observing her without really touching his own plate.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, wiping her mouth with a napkin tip. "I know my table manners are atrocious."

"Please do not apologize," he smiled reassuringly. "It is simply that I have never seen a girl eat with such enthusiasm. Somehow it makes me full just watching you." Esther cocked her head to one side to ponder the remark.

_Is he saying...I eat like a pig? _she thought despondently. _Or is that a compliment in Hamlin_?

"Ah, yes," he though aloud suddenly. "I remembered there was a book in my library on the basics of summoning authored by a great summoner centuries back. Come, I wish to show it to you." Marcassin got up and gestured for her to follow him.

"But," she said, looking down at the table. "What about the pie?" After all, it was such a waste to just leave it.

"Bring it," he said with a grin and exited the dining room.

"Wait for me," she called after him, brining both his and her plates of pie and hurried after him.

She followed him down a long corridor and turned left into what was perhaps the biggest library she had ever seen. It was two stories high with bookshelves along every wall and tables and chairs readily available for serious study. The chamber was lit by a large crystal chandelier hanging from the center of octagonal space. A spiral staircase allowed access to the second level. The marble floor looked as though it had been recently polished. Yellow stained-glass windows stood tall on the opposite side of the door and long, teal velvet curtains trimmed with gold fringes and cords completed the decor of the room. Everything made it apparent that the Sages of Hamlin took their literary collection quite seriously.

"Oh my," breathed Esther as her eyes went wide. "How marvelous." The library at the Academy was perhaps only three-fourths the size of this place.

"The histories of my country and practical books of science and agriculture are on the second level. The books of magic and magical application are on the first," Marcassin explained. "They are organized according to category and then I had them organized by publication or revision dates. There is a particular shelf devoted to summoning magic in this corner here," he indicated. You will see they are divided by the age and after that divided by region. Autumnia's region is here, and I believe this is the book I was thinking of," he said as he pulled a dusty gray suede volume with yellowed pages from its place. He turned aside and blew the dust from the binding before handing it to her.

"You remembered where this book was?" she asked incredulously.

"I have it all memorized," he said, pointing to his temple.

"Goodness," said Esther, truly impressed. As she sat down with this volume at a table, Marcassin found several others for her as well and piled them onto the desk. He then pulled the cord to ring the bell, and ordered the servants to bring some coffee to accompany the pie.

Esther buried herself in the first chapter of the book without any further conversation. It wasn't until she was starting the second it dawned on her to look around for Marcassin. He was sitting in an armchair with his legs crossed as he fliped through a book while heartily eating his pie. When he felt her eyes on him, he looked up and their eyes met.

"What is it?" he asked. She smirked and looked down again.

"Nothing," she said with a little laugh at his expense. He looked at her quizzically. She looked up again and said, "I didn't know you had a sweet tooth."

"Well, I…" he said, a little miffed that he had been discovered.

"You must not have liked the casserole, and probably have smoked ham every day. But you gobbled down the pie. You must really like sweets," she concluded logically. The prince looked a bit embarrassed and smiled sheepishly.

"Do you … think I'm childish?" he asked hesitantly. Esther laughed out loud.

"I think…" she paused to choose her answer carefully, "you would LOVE the sweet milk and honey cream puffs we make in Al-Mamoon."

"Are they very good?" asked Marcassin in wide-eyed wonder.

"VERY good," she responded confidently.

"You shall have to show me when next I am in Al-Mamoon," he said in earnest.

Just then, a soldier stepped into the doorway and cleared his throat.

"Ah yes, is it that time already?" asked Marcassin. The soldier bowed. He turned to Esther and bowed slightly. "I beg your pardon Miss Esther, but I must get back to work now."

"You have to go back to work?" she asked in disbelief. "But it's almost time to go to bed…." she said looking up at the metal chime clock on the wall.

"There was something I had to finish today, some plans to oversee for the council meeting tomorrow morning," he answered.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I didn't mean to keep you-" she started.

"Not at all," he chimed in immediately, shaking his head. He got up and walked over beside her, standing close enough that she could feel his body heat from her seat. His proximity made her nervous. Marcassin hovered over her and turned the page to the index of the book she was reading. "I believe you will find the sixth chapter most informative."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Esther replied automatically.

"For the sake of your health, do not stay up too late," he cautioned before leaving the room. She smiled in response as she saw him off. He had become the Emperor of Hamlin again. There was a twinge of discomfort in her chest at the thought of the distance between them now.

A few hours passed before Esther felt herself feeling drowsy. The coffee was finally wearing off and she looked up at the wall when the clock struck midnight. A large yawn escaped her lips and she stretched her arms and torso before putting her head down on the mahogany desk. After a bath, a delicious meal, and a few hours with a book, Esther wondered if life could get any better than this. She frowned at the idea of having to change back into her traveling clothes and going back out in the wild to "rough it" with Derwin. After all, they had not yet explored the land of ancient Nazcaa that was now open to travelers, though it was still an empty, lonely place.

Of course, there were no inns to speak of.

"I wonder how many days at sea it will take," she wondered. If she could summon the Darkwing, the travel time would be cut in half if she could convince it to carry them and their gear. Esther sighed again and started to knock her head gently on the table.

"If only I studied summoning in the Academy, I wouldn't have to learn it from scratch," she lamented aloud.

But what was really bothering her was the thought of traveling again, though the prospect of traveling had excited her in the past. Something had somehow shifted in her. She couldn't tell if the change had come when she tamed the Darkwing or after she had come to Hamlin.

_Or perhaps…. _

She stretched out onto the table and rested her head in her arms without completing the thought.

Esther realized she had fallen asleep in the library when she stirred at the sound of footsteps coming towards her. Bleary eyed, she sat up and squinted to adjust to the light again. When she focused her vision again, she saw Marcassin standing next to her, looking slightly stern. There was a robe draped lightly over her shoulders keeping her warm. Esther felt embarrassed as she looked away wiped the drool from her mouth.

"And here I told you not to push yourself," he chided. "You must be a girl who is either extremely determined, or extremely fond of books." She smiled at this remark since many people have told her this in her lifetime. Esther laughed a bit, in spite of herself.

"Books were at one time my only friends," she said a bit wistfully. "My father is a bit of a nomad by nature, and when I was old enough we traveled a lot. I didn't really have time to stay in one place and make lasting friends. But I had my father, and I had my books, which at the time, was good enough." Marcassin placed a bookmark at the page where Esther had left off and closed the book for her.

"I, too, had only books as my fiends when my brother Gascon left the city. My father had just passed away, as you know, deathly wounded by Shadar, and I had to learn to grow up quickly so I could rule the Empire. I remember back in those days, the only things that saved me from feeling the acuity of that bleak time were my books. There is a section in the library of legends and theTales of Wonder that I particularly liked. It was an escape."

"Prince Marcassin," she said empathetically, trying to hold back the sadness in her voice. Had they not needed to continue their quest and go back to their own time, she wondered if Marcassin would have fared better if they had stayed with the young prince a bit longer - at least until his grief became bearable.

As if he read her thoughts, he shook his head gently.

"I turned out all right, I think," he answered. "Besides, I was able to finally meet you again, and that has made the wait all the more worthwhile."

Esther pondered his words to decipher if he meant that he was happy to meet his brother and all of them again, or if he was happy to meet _her_ again, in particular. Regardless, her heart ached at the thought of the lonely young prince spending his youth in this skyless city without any real friends. She at least had her kind father.

"Back when I was traveling with my father as a girl," she recalled, "I really enjoyed mapping the constellations with him. The canopy was so dark and so vast, scattered with endless stars across it. It was awe inspiring to me as a child. Even now as an adult, it still makes me feel small and insignificant. But it made me realize that people are like stars, solitary but connected by invisible lines to make up a bigger picture. Looking up at the stars has never made me feel lonely."

"I've lived most of my life in the palace without stars, since our city is more like a covered fortress than anything, but I think I understand what you mean."

"Your Highness, I think you should vacation in Al-Mamoon one day. I think you would enjoy the view," she laughed. He looked down directly at her and reciprocated her smile.

"I think I _would_ enjoy the view."

Esther's smile faded as Marcassin slowly bent down until his face was nearly touching hers, and his fingers gently traced the curve of her chin upwards towards his own. He lingered there, unmoving but Esther's heart started jumping out of her chest at the thought of what might come next.

But he pulled away first and declared, "It's time you went to bed." She blinked at the sudden shift in conversation. Esther couldn't decide if she was disappointed or relieved.

"I would say the same of you, Your Highness. Do you always work this late?" she asked, suddenly happy to change the topic of conversation.

"I came here because the servants didn't know what to do with you," he chuckled. "Besides, there is always quite a bit to go over with my staff whenever I have a council meeting in the morning," he yawned. The servants then came in to douse the lights in the room and the pair took that as their queue to leave and walked out into the dimly lit corridor.

"There is a celebration throughout the city tomorrow, by the way," he mentioned off handedly. "I would like for you to accompany me, if it pleases you."

"A celebration… Oh, you mean Hero's Day," she said.

"The very same," he answered. Hero's Day was a recent holiday created by the kingdoms in honor of Oliver, the boy from another world, and his friends, which included Marcassin and Esther, for defeating Shadar and the White Witch.

"Nothing too fancy," he said casually. "But you will need a dress. Would you mind if I picked one for you?"

"Not at all," she said sheepishly. "I hate to admit it but I think your taste might be better than mine." Marcassin grinned from ear to ear.

When they arrived at her bed chamber door, Marcassin bowed slightly and parted with a smile. Esther was left to ponder alone the meaning of his boyish grin, but she soon found herself nestled among her fluffy pillows again, and sleep gently overtook her before she could sort that out.


	5. Chapter 5: The Rogue at the Ball

**Author's note:** So in the end, I decided to revise this chapter a little. I'm not sure if I got all the points I wanted across but it seems all right. Depending on my mood I may end up rewriting all of Chapter 6, as I haven't decided who she will take with her on her adventure. :-/

As always, thanks for the RxR, and suggestions are also welcome.

-Kero (9/12/13)

* * *

**CHAPTER 5: The Rogue at the Ball**

_THIS_ _is what he meant by 'nothing too fancy'…?!_ she lamented inwardly.

Esther fidgeted with anxiousness as the hand maidens adjusted and ironed out the fabric of her dress as she stood statuesquely. After another elegantly smelling bath they brought in a gorgeous gown of pale blue satin. A chiffon shell of tiny, embroidered silver stars draped over both sides and tied into a large bow, trailing long in the back. The moment she saw it she knew that Marcassin had chosen it because of their conversation last night. The dress was sleeveless but a short tailored jacket of the same chiffon and embroidered stars kept the ensemble modest as its frilly collar clasped at her neck with a silver pin shaped like a crescent moon with a sapphire star in the center. Elegant sateen gloves, woven by the mechanical looms in the renown textile factories of Hamlin, covered her arms while her feet were adorned with dancing slippers of a soft leather dipped in silver dye. It was by far the most opulent outfit she had ever worn in her life. Her hair was tied up in a braided bun but the ends were curled into golden ringlets. As she looked at herself in the mirror she wondered whose reflection it was looking back.

To think she was covered in mud and grime just at the beginning of the week...

She was still marveling at the transformation when there was a soft rap at the door. She turned to see Marcassin enter the room. He wore his country's teal and purple colors in a long sateen tunic emblazoned with his family crest in gold thread, while a heavy velvet red robe draped over his shoulders, clasped at the base of his neck with Hamlin's crest in a gold medallion. His puffy white sateen sleeves looked as though they may have been cut from the same cloth as her gloves. The robe was slit into two panels in the front and two in the back, most likely to accommodate dancing, while two silver clasps of sun and moon pinned the robe at his shoulders, connected by a gleaming silver chain across his chest. His long hair looked softer and silkier than her own and was otherwise unadorned. He wore purple leggings that were mostly hidden behind the length of his tunic that reached the ground, but they peeked through as he walked. His belt was a braided silver chain accented with little silver stars to match the ones on her dress.

Esther flushed a little at the thought of being a "matching couple" with him. Her cheeks became more red as she saw his eyes go wide and his lips remain silent as he observed her.

"You look absolutely stunning, Miss Esther," he finally said at length. He offered a gloved hand to her.

"Thank you," she said shyly, placing her hand in his. "But I think you look more in your element, Your Highness." He smiled at her words and led her out of the room.

Esther could not help but notice the shining glances amid the curtsey's and bows the servants gave them both as they walked past.

"Everyone seems to agree with me, I think," he said with a smile of self-satisfaction as they approached the main hall where the party had already commenced. He took her hand, tucked it under his arm and placed it in the crook of his elbow so that she was suddenly standing closer to him. Even a simple gesture seemed so elegantly executed by Marcassin. Esther had to smile at her own unrefined background.

_He speaks more eloquently, dresses better, has better taste and impeccable manners than you. Oh, Esther_, she thought to herself in good humor, _you're a shame to your gender…._

It was as though the entire hum and buzz of the voices in the room tapered off into silence as they walked across the threshold and into the center of the extremely polished floor. Excited whispers behind fans and gloved hands spoke of the elegant prince and the flower of the desert, and how fortuitous the audience was to have two heros of the Age stand amongst them. Unknown to Esther during these recent days spent in Hamlin, her reputation as a heroine who helped save the world was upended by her reputation now as a dragon tamer. Within the ballroom, the eyes of all wizards, witches and soldiers in training watched her with wide-eyed wonder and envy.

The silence was broken by a trill and a fanfare of trumpets to open the celebration with a dance. At once, the people in the room sought out their partners and formed a large, wide ring around the Emperor and his pretty guest. A small troupe of musicians began to play the anthem of Hamlin.

Esther looked around in puzzlement when she whispered to Marcassin. "What's everyone doing?"

"Getting ready for the first dance that I'm going to lead," he answered plainly.

"That you're-" she started when her eyes went wide. "You mean _we_…?" The expression of shock overcame her ability to speak further as she looked up into his face.

"Yes," he smiled mischievously. His gentle blue eyes twinkled as he slipped her hand into his open palm and with his other arm pushed her closer to him. With the back of his opposite hand formally touching the small of her back, he was already in position to begin.

"But, I can't d-dance!" she whispered nervously and tried to pull away but the firmness of his arms surprised her.

"You cannot just run off and leave me here. I cannot do this alone," he frowned slightly. He bent his head down to whisper in her ear. The feel of his breath near her face sent a shock through her.

"Please relax, and let me do the leading."

_Easier said than done… _she thought to herself.

As the music transitioned into a waltz, Esther sighed resignedly and took a long, steady breath. As she exhaled she felt the tension ease a little and she lifted her gaze into Marcassin's gentle blue eyes, her face expressionless but her mind extremely focused on looking straight at him.

Prince Marcassin chuckled a bit at the intensity of her gaze. "You look at me as though you are about to do battle with me."

"I just might as soon as we're finished," said Esther, only half in jest.

He pulled her close enough so that the length of their bodies were touching, and he brushed his lips gently against her temple. Esther felt the tension drain from her body only to be replaced by a limp numbness and dazed feeling.

_What just happened…? _she thought.

He uttered the words, "Trust me," right before his body started to move into the dance.

Esther couldn't be certain how but she moved as he moved, both in concert with one another, and it was as though her body was no longer her own. Her arms, her legs, her feet all moved as he wanted, as if they belonged to him. All she heard was the music and all she felt was their connection where he held her hand and where he pressed gently against her back. His hands would give her queues as to which direction to step, when to dip and they would lead her into the next twirl effortlessly. On and on these motions repeated and not once did she look away from him. She was mesmerized by his every move, his timed breathing and his inviting gaze. He was no longer that little boy from years ago and she realized she had to stop thinking of him as such. Her entire sight filled with Marcassin and none of it seemed strange at all.

She barely noticed when the music was fading as he led her into her last twirl. The spell was finally lifted when he released her and she blinked out of her daze. She curtseyed as low and elegantly as she possibly could in her state when she saw Marcassin making a low, formal bow. When it was over she took a deep breath and breathed in her relief.

"Contrary to your belief, you do possess more than one talent, Miss Esther," smiled Marcassin kindly. "Your taming skills are only equalled by your enchanting voice, your unrivaled charm, and your graceful dancing abilities."

"Please, Your Highness," she laughed as she looked away. "Whatever happened just now…I think that was _all_ you." The hall filled with praise and the light applause of gloved hands as they stared at the couple in the center of the room. A few other nobles and guests walked over to them to praise the Emperor and his pretty partner, while others came and spoke with Marcassin regarding Hamlin's affairs, but she wasn't really paying any heed to their words of praise and general commentary. Esther watched the prince beside her silently as he replied to them in turn, using his formal and eloquent speech patterns again.

_Marcassin…_

_I think I might be..._

When he turned to address her again, she found that she could not longer meet his gaze. A heavy haze clouded her heart and her brow furrowed at the sensation. She suddenly felt rather stifled.

_But, I can't do this…._

"Is something the matter, Miss Esther?" asked Marcassin, his face immediately tinged with concern at her turn of expression. He stepped closer to her but she unwittingly stepped back in the opposite direction. She looked up at him indirectly and gave him a kind smile.

"I'm afraid I may have been a little overwhelmed by the excitement. Please excuse me," she said as she did a polite curtsey to him and the other guests. "I need some air." Without even waiting for his response she turned because she could already feel her smile fading, and hurried off in the direction of the nearest open terrace door.

When she came to the far metal railing of the terrace her gloved hands gripped it tightly for dear life.

_I'm not a princess…_ she thought to herself. _I'm just a ordinary person…. _

She looked up at the vaulted roof of the city, lit by its magical energy source behind large glazed panels held in a mesh of elegantly crafted steel and iron. The "Canopy" as the locals called it, was lit a faint dark blue color now, to mimic the color of a night sky. In the day, it was tinted a pale yellow to mimic the sun. It was the epitome of a technologically and scientifically advanced culture and a marvel to behold and yet Esther felt out of place beneath it. All about the palace were the dwellings of the people of the city. Their faint voices, the commotion of their lives and their machines hummed in the distance. Every light was a window with a family dwelling in it. Long ago Esther had wanted to be like them. In the end, she never did find a place where she stayed for very long and traveling seemed to be the norm.

_I can't stay here forever. I want to see the stars again…._

Within her was a whim to grab the orb containing the spirit of the Darkwing, to cast a summon spell, and take immediate flight away from Hamlin. The urge to get away was very strong now.

"Perhaps I've stayed too long," she thought aloud. "I should leave…before…"

"Before what?" asked a familiar, gruff voice behind her. She spun round immediately to see a face of a friend. He was not dressed as shabbily as she remembered him but his clothes were simple and not eye-catching at all. The eldest former prince of Hamlin was dressed more like a servant than a noble.

"S-Swaine," she stammered. "What are you doing here?"

"Ah, well, you know," he said running and hand through his unruly mop of hair. It was not an explanation at all but then again that was her friend Swaine. Always as incoherent and mysterious as ever.

"You're looking after your younger brother again, aren't you?" she smiled with amusement.

"O-of course not," he replied but they way he looked away spoke differently. "He's a grown man already. He doesn't need his big brother to mess things up for him."

"Have you said hello at least?" she frowned. "You know he would really like to see you again."

"I will, I will," he said, in a rather non-committal fashion.

"You're his only family now, Swaine," she lectured. "It wouldn't kill you to show a little kindness to your brother."

"Since when were you his avid fangirl?" he groaned. "I thought only your Queen was like that."

Esther let out an exasperated sound and rolled her eyes. "Not every girl is an avid fangirl of the Sage of Hamlin," she said matter-of-factly. "It's just that you don't visit very often do you? I know you support him from the side lines but every once in a while you should sit down and spend some time together." As she spoke, Swaine picked a piece of wax from his ear.

"Why is it that every time you're near me, you have a mind to nag me?" he asked with irritation. Esther put her hands on her hips and huffed at him.

"Call it what you will," she said. "It's just that I think Prince Marcassin might be rather lonely sitting on the Emperor's chair by himself."

"What he needs is a girlfriend," sighed Swaine.

"Then maybe someone should arrange one for him," she suggested lightly, although it wasn't what she really wanted to say.

"Well, I'm surprised you're saying that," said the ex-prince. "You looked rather chummy dancing with my kid brother back there."

"W-what are you suggesting?" she shot back with indignation.

"Hehe," he chuckled. "What AM I suggesting…? he asked rhetorically. Esther rolled her eyes at him and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I can't stay if that's what you're suggesting," she signed. "I still have to find that idiot before he hurts himself. Queen Cowlipha would frown if I lost him. He is, after all, my research partner."

"What? And leave all THIS?" Swaine asked, sweeping and open arm in a grandiose fashion towards the main hall where the nobles and guests were all a twitter with wine and merriment. "Isn't this what all girls dream of?" Esther could hear the sarcasm in his voice, and she wondered if Swaine actually got the better bargain of the two.

"Not all girls are fit for love," she sighed. Esther's thoughts turned again to the time when she was under Shadars spell. She often wondered after that if Oliver had completely restored her heart or if the empty feeling inside had always been there. There was no time to think about that now, and besides, it was a bother to ponder what could be done.

"Gascon, you're here?" asked a voice from behind. They turned to see Prince Marcassin stepping out onto the terrace.

_Oh…_ she thought to herself, a little nervous at what she had just said. _How long has he been standing there…?_

"Yup," his brother answered. "I'm here to report a disturbance in the lower quarter. There seems to be a strange little man who wants to bring an untamed ghoul-type creature into his quarters at a local inn. The innkeeper is raising hell and called the town guard. I happened to be passing by, as it was close to the tavern I frequent, and I noticed this fool was carrying the a golden travel pass from the kingdom of Al-Mamoon. As your ambassador I'd like to inform you that the way we treat him could affect our relations with Queen Cowlipha and her country."

"Where is he now?" asked Marcassin.

"The guards threw him in prison, beneath the palace," his brother answered simply. Marcassin let out a groan inadvertently while Esther put a hand over her eyes, ashamed to even be associated with Derwin in that moment.

She turned to Marcassin and curtseyed politely. "If you don't mind, Your Highness, I would like to retrieve my research partner.

I thank you for your hospitality, Your Highness, and the party was lovely. But I'm afraid I do have to go check on Derwin. I think we should make preparations to depart again. He tends to wander off into dangerous holes and caves, and he'd leave without me, so I think I'd better pack now."

"So soon?" asked Marcassin, rather reluctantly.

"Yes," she responded definitively.

"As my ambassador, my brother will escort you to the border lands for your safety."

"She's a big girl, Marcassin, is there really a need for me to-" began Swain when he was abruptly cut off.

"I insist," said Marcasin with a steely gaze that Swain knew not to challenge.

"I thank you, Your Highness," said Esther with polite acceptance. Having Swain travel with her part of the way was at least not as bad as traveling with Derwin alone. She would at least have someone else to keep her mind off of strangling her genius research partner when his inner idiot surfaced once again.

"Well then, you have my permission to retrieve your partner from the prison. I will also alert my chamberlain to see to your travel needs."

"No, there's no-"

"I insist," said Marcassin sternly. "If you will not travel with an entourage at least travel with the right equipment for this journey."

"I…" Esther thought of a retort but held her tongue. "I thank you again for your hospitality and kindness, Your Highness. Please excuse me," she added without looking at either of them and walked back to her room.

_Stupid Derwin_, she thought hotly as she went back to her room. "Always being himself at the most inopportune times…." After a brief pause, she added to her collage of thoughts, _Stupid Swaine! Putting nonsensical ideas in my head!_

After she closed the door, she started pulling the hairpins out of her coif and her long, golden hair fell down past her shoulders. She hastily grabbed her travel pack and started packing her things. Esther pulled her travel clothes and cloak out of the dresser drawers and placed them neatly on a table nearby. The Darkwing orb, still resting on a velvet pillow sent a glowing pulse of light for her.

"I know you're asking me what's wrong and you're trying to make me feel better," she spoke to the orb quietly. "I just think we should leave here as soon as possible. I have to finish what I started…."

Esther stepped onto a bench and gathered her puffy skirts around her as she sat down, pulling her knees up against her chest. For some reason she felt miserable but she didn't know why. Esther buried her face in her skirt ruffles.

Her doubt clouded her heart. If Shadar had stolen her ability to love as well as her ambition and urge to stand up against the darkenss when she challenged the Dark Wizard for the first time, several years ago in a fit of youthful folly, was there even a remedy for that? Did it have anything to do with the fact that the emotion that the boy wizard Oliver had placed in her was someone else's and not her own? When Shadar broke a person's heart and mind, was there no way to gather all the pieces back again? Or was her doubt and confusion something she herself had created, harkening back to those lonely days when children in town would sing insulting songs about her?

"What's wrong with me?" she asked herself. There was no answer. _Any other girl would take this opportunity and make it her own in a heartbeat._

But, she could barely resist the feeling of desperation and the urge to run as far away from him as possible. In the end, the urge to get away outweighed all other sentiments, and her incomplete commission by the Queen was merely an excuse to leave. The fact that she was aware of this made her heart heavy.


End file.
